I let go instantly, rolling to my feet in panic, completely aware she's not yet dead, but disarmed enough for me to see what is causing Elodie such discomfort.
My girl is on her knees before Tiran, his vampire abilities appearing on her instead of him. Her eyes are black and her teeth elongated as her heart races a thousand times a minute.
Her distress isn’t coming from him; it’s coming from herself.
She can't make it stop.
She's taking all of his energy and her body is either fighting against storing it or there's just not enough room for it to hold so much.
Panicked, I do the only thing I can think of. Darting at the pair of them, I knock them both to the ground, sending them toppling into the grass beside the path. One of Elodie’s hands remains on Tiran as she whimpers, and I quickly drop to my knees beside her as I bring the other to the soil beside her. Her fingers splay as she touches the earth and her hysteria quickly melts away.
Despite the shift, her magic continues to funnel from Tiran to the grass beside her, which grows like wildfire.
She's a vessel, more than just a scythe, but she can't stop.
I don't know how to help her, which leaves only one other choice: end the source.
My lip curls in anger as I accept the challenge without question, rising to my feet swiftly before cutting the two steps toward Tiran as he lies on his side on the grass. His cheeks are gaunt and his eyes are hollowed out.
I shudder at the connection as I wrap my fingers around his head, overwhelming him with my magic, which effortlessly infiltrates him. His ears, mouth, eyes, and nose are swarmed with the tendrils of my shadows as my eyes close and I wait for the impending tick. It’s the sweet spot you see in the movies when a trained thief is trying to break into a safe.
This is mine.
The clink vibrates in my mind and I don’t waste any time twisting my hands in a swift motion. His neck snaps like a wilting twig. Releasing him a moment later, I let his body fall limp to the ground, and I’m instantly rewarded with a heavy sigh of relief from Elodie.
I watch in awe as both of her hands hit the ground at her sides, her eyes still tightly shut, the grass blowing in the wind around her until it’s of even length, surrounding her.
She lies on her back, trying to catch her breath, but all I can see are the cuts across her chest.
My anger returns in a heartbeat, but instead of seeking out Willow to put an end to her too, I race back to my girl to help her.
Falling at her side, I crouch by her waist, reaching for my magic once again, only this time, it’s to heal. Slowly, I ghost my hand across her chest, eliminating any evidence that she was once hurt. My pulse rings in my ears and uncertainty floors me, but I don't stop until her eyes pry open and her gaze meets mine.
Crimson stains splatter her skin, but the wound no longer exists.
Relieved, I smile down at her, contentment claiming me as I heave a breath, but instead of smiling back at me, her eyes widen in fear as her lips part. There’s something on the tip of her tongue, but before she can speak, a vice is pressed around my left wrist, quickly snapping behind my back and locking into place alongside my right wrist.
I reach for my magic, but it's not there. All I’m greeted with is the deep baritone voice from behind.
“Thorne Fata, you are hereby detained by The Sanctum for the murder of Tiran Harkon.”
29
ELODIE
Iwatch in horror, limp in the grass, as Thorne is carted away.
My fingers tremble and my muscles are weak as I try to press my palms into the grass to lift myself, but I feel like dead weight. Tilting my head to the side, I try to shout after them, but my mouth doesn't work.
Despair consumes me as two men cart him off with a wolf at their sides. Not just any wolf; Willow. As she glances over her shoulder at me, I can see the smug look on her face, even in wolf form. There's no denying it.
She shows no care or remorse for Tiran’s lifeless body beside me.
I should have screamed in her face when she got in mine, but I just couldn’t find the strength to give a shit about her crap. I just wanted to be back at Thorne’s side, living in a different world altogether. That’s what his presence feels like—another world. Just like it does with Rion and Kael, but each brings a different element that the others don’t.
“Elodie!”
My gaze snaps to the side, searching for the source of my name, to find Rion approaching. He gapes down at me in horror as my eyes widen with panic.
